Chapter Thirteen

It took a moment before the noise outside in the passageway got close enough to the door for the ranger to pick up and identify. The guards were coming again.

What now? The man paled to think that Allaura may be wanting him again. Hadn’t she done enough to him already? Common sense told him that the woman was a long way from being through with him, but he was still hoping that there wasn’t going to be a repeat so soon. He unconsciously reached up and lightly rubbed his burned shoulder.

Then Aragorn stood up beside Legolas, trying to ignore the weakness in his legs. He forced himself to remain upright.

Legolas turned to him in concern.
“You should stay seated, Estel.”

“No,“ the ranger stated firmly, “We face this together, mellon nin, no matter what is coming.” He knew though that, if the guards had come to get him, he with his weakness and Legolas still not fully recovered from his wounds, could not stop them.

The two friends faced the door as it swung open. Two guards entered baring two trays of food. As always, one stayed by the door while the other carried the trays to the bench, set them down, and then both guards left.

Elf and man sat down in utter relief. They looked at each other and grinned, almost sheepishly at the fear of what they thought might be about to happen, not that they didn’t have good reason to be afraid. Thankfully it had been a false alarm - this time.

“Did those guards ever say anything to you when they took you upstairs?” Legolas asked curiously, food forgotten for the moment.

The man shuddered when he said, “Allaura had their tongues cut out, so they couldn’t talk to the prisoners. Why they would do her bidding after she did that to them, I have no idea.”

Legolas shook his head. That was just another thing that re-enforced how evil she truly was. “She probably used the necklace on them, too, to make them obey her,” the elf suggested. It made sense, considering what she had done to Aragorn.

“Then why the need to cut out their tongues?”

“Good question,” the elf replied. “She probably enjoyed doing it.”

“You make a good point.” Thinking the same thing Legolas had a moment ago, Aragorn said, “More evidence of her evil ways.”

The elf was thoughtful for a moment. “I wonder. Could she be a minion of Sauron?”

“She’s cruel enough,” Aragorn said with a touch of anger. He suppressed another shudder.

“But then how is her,” Legolas paused, trying to think of the right word to use, “appetite, hidden way out here where few venture, going to further the Dark Lord’s quest for dominance over Middle-earth? He prefers to use those who go out and conquer many, such as the Shadow creatures that are working to overthrow my home.” The last statement was spoken with understandable bitterness.

Aragorn reached over and put his hand on Legolas’s shoulder and squeezed it in a non-verbal gesture of sympathy and understanding. He knew how the wood-elves of Mirkwood treasured their forest home and how the Shadow’s encroachment wounded the hearts of those ethereal beings who should spend their lives in light and joy, not fighting darkness. He squeezed the elf’s shoulder again.

Legolas gave his friend a quick smile, as he put his hand on top of the ranger’s in acknowledgement of the man’s empathy.

After a short silence of shared comradeship, they seemed to reach the same decision at the same time. Both looked down at the food trays.

Aragorn was slightly dismayed to see that the plates contained the same food the two had been given before. He decided to look on the bright side of the situation. "They may lack imagination when it comes to serving a variety of food, but at least they aren’t starving us."

Legolas laughed. "True enough." He refrained from saying that the repetition did not bother him as it did the human.

*~*~*~*

Almost a week went by in much the same manner. Elf and man ate, slept, and they received new torches, so that there was always light in the vault. Mostly they waited. It was nerve-wracking never knowing when the door opened, if the guards were going to take one of them.

During the days that passed, Legolas kept up a brave front, but inside he was on the verge of crumbling. The stone that virtually entombed them was so oppressive that the archer sometimes had to force himself not to curl up in a ball and weep.

The façade of the elf did not fool Aragorn. He recognized the signs. Added to that was the fact he knew how Legolas reacted when he was surrounded by stone for any length of time. This place was no different than some of the caves they had been forced to spend time in.

He would have given anything for a window, even a very small one, so that Legolas could see the sky, especially at night, when the stars sparkled brightly, and the moon spread its silver glow on all below. There were times he would have gladly dug one out of the unyielding stone with his bare hands, if he could have managed it.

Aragorn tried to lift the elf’s failing spirits with talk of anything and everything, focusing for the most part on some of their past adventures. He avoided talking about their homes or families. That, he feared, would not only upset Legolas, but it wouldn’t do much for his own spirits, either. So, he concentrated on things that would not make his heart yearn but would instead bring a smile to the elf’s lips.

Reminiscing worked some of the time, and every smile or laugh that came from the archer brought joy to Aragorn’s heart. But he was aware that it was only a temporary measure., because, despite his best efforts, Legolas continued to sink into despair, and the ranger couldn’t stop it.

*~*~*~*

The sixth day dawned just like all the rest. The guards brought food to the prisoners, the same they had been eating all along. They also tossed a new torch into the corner, safely out of the reach of the elf and the ranger until the door was closed again. The routine was always the same.

Legolas turned his head away from the food and closed his eyes. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

A half hour after the guards left, the two trays were still sitting untouched on the bench. It wasn’t the exasperation of the ranger over eating the same thing day after day that caused him to ignore the food. It was worry for his friend.

Aragorn was sitting next to the elf. He had given him time to change his mind about eating before he said anything. Now his patience was at an end. “Legolas, I’m sorry you’re trapped down here. I don’t think Allaura knows what being surrounded by stone for long days does to an elf, especially a wood-elf.”

“It would not matter to her.” Legolas’s voice was low and filled with a resignation that bordered on defeat.

It greatly saddened Aragorn to hear that tone coming from the normally lighthearted elf.

He tried again. “We won’t be here forever, Legolas,” the ranger encouraged. “We will get out of here.”

Another soft sigh. “It may not matter for me.”

“Things may look hopeless right now, but we can’t give up. Isn‘t that what you’ve told me on more than one occasion?”

Legolas turned and looked at the concerned face of his friend. “I do not intend to give up, Estel. But the stone steals my will, even though I fight it. You know how much I need the trees, the rivers, the green grass, the stars. I need to breathe the fresh air. I do not know how long I can hold back the darkness that is trying to consume me.”

Aragorn closed his eyes, a look of pain on his features. “I would do anything to help you, Legolas. You know that.”

A slender hand rested lightly on the ranger’s arm. “I know you would, Estel. Do not try to take blame upon yourself, because you cannot remedy the situation. You are here with me, and that is a great comfort.” The elf offered a weak smile. “I could not go on without you beside me.”

There may not be any words that would take the dark feeling from this elf, and Aragorn certainly couldn’t get them out of here, at the moment, however, he could offer his support in the only way he knew how. He put his arms around Legolas and pulled the elf into a tight embrace.

Aragorn smiled to himself when he felt the tension in the elf’s body relax a little. It wasn’t much, but it was what he was expecting, and it lightened his heart a bit.

The two friends remained like that for several moments. The ranger was not going to be the one to let go first, preferring to let Legolas make that decision, when he was ready.

Finally Legolas did pull back. “Thank you, Estel. I will do my best to overcome this dark feeling the stone has placed in my heart and mind.”

“I know you will, mellon nin. You are too strong to give in and let it take you,” the ranger reassured. Then he laughed. “Shall we partake of this wonderful meal that has been lovingly prepared for us?”

Just as intended, the question brought a smile to the elf’s pale face. And that brought a smile to the ranger’s.

*~*~*~*

Two hours later, the door opened again. One of the guards moved toward the trays. The elf and the ranger paid little attention, as he picked up the trays. It was what they were expecting. What they were not expecting was for the door to remain open while the trays were removed and then set on the floor of the passageway.

The guard then returned with the other one and headed straight for Legolas. This time, it was Aragorn who jumped in front of the elf to protect him. He was forcibly pushed back down onto the bench. Before he could react, the elf was roughly grabbed and yanked to his feet. The emotionless guards pulled him across the floor and out of the vault.

“No!,” the man screamed. He gained his feet and rushed forward, reaching the door just as it was slammed in his face. He pounded on the cold iron in vain. Unlike Legolas, when the ranger had been taken the week before, Aragorn knew exactly what was going to happen to the sensitive elf. And thanks to him, now so did Legolas. “Take me again,” Aragorn pleaded to the empty air. “Take me.”

*~*~*~*

Allaura was waiting anxiously for the elf to arrive in her bed chamber. She had given the elf more than enough time to heal from his wounds, and now the time had finally come to indulge herself. Now, at last, he was on his way.

The ranger had given her the resurgence she had needed after her husband had failed so miserably. That had been a major disappointment. So thanks to the ranger, she really needed no renewal. However, she couldn’t bring herself to wait any longer. The anticipation was making her tingle.

As she waited, another emotion held sway with her, as well. She found that she was still angry over what had been done to the elf by that idiot Grath to cause this delay in enjoying her pleasure. Ah well, the Easterling had paid for his profound lack of judgment in a pool of blood.

A knock at the door made Allaura jump, so deep had she been in her thoughts. The woman took a deep breath before calling, “Come.” Another tingle went through her, as she stood from her dressing table and faced the door.

Allaura quickly ran her hand through her long, black hair and shook her head so that it hung smoothly down her back. She had not been this excited in a very long time.

Her eyes lit up when the door opened to reveal the golden-haired elf standing between two of her guards. A smile spread across her face. “Bring him in.”

Legolas’s unreadable expression did not change when the guards let go of him, bowed to the lady and quietly left. He didn’t move a muscle, as she walked up to him and then made a slow circle around him. Her dark eyes ran up and down his body in an appraisal that clearly pleased her.

Legolas’s eyes met her appreciative ones with a cold stare.

Allaura laughed. “You do not seem pleased to be here.”

Legolas deftly turned his response away from himself. “You hurt my friend.”

“Hurt? I hardly think so. He was fortunate. I gave him something few men have ever experienced before.”

“No. You took something from him.”

That statement startled Allaura. She had no idea the elf had figured out what she had done to the ranger in this room. Her mind was racing. Should she admit the elf was right or try to convince him otherwise?

Then Allaura suddenly laughed. Why was she getting so upset? Perhaps neither of them really knew anything. They could just be guessing. And even if they did know, what did it matter anyway? They could do nothing about it.

Despite Allaura’s best effort, she could not hide the panic that had first appeared in her eyes, fleeting though it was, from the elf’s scrutiny. He, on the other hand, did not reveal a thing to her about what was going on inside of him.

Allaura’s eyes hardened for a moment, effectively cutting off what the elf had seen.

When the woman reached up and attempted to touch Legolas’s cheek, he leaned back out of her grasp. “Do not touch me,” he warned. The very thought of it made his skin crawl.

Again Allaura laughed. “You are not the one in control here. You are mine, and I will do with you as I please. The sooner you accept that the better things will be for you.” Her tone was tinged with anger.

The elf glared hard into the woman‘s dark eyes. “I belong to no one but myself.”

Almost faster than sight, Allaura slapped the wood-elf. “You will learn the error of that statement soon enough.”

Her eyes were narrowed, when she reached out again, and this time succeeded in touching Legolas’s now reddened cheek, caressing it with the backs of her fingers, as if the gesture could take the sting of her brief attack away.

Legolas grit his teeth but didn’t try to move out of the way. He knew Allaura was not regretting the slap in the least and would do it again, if she felt he was resisting her. However, the look in the prince’s eyes hadn’t lost any of the cold glare that resided there.

It wasn’t until she touched him, that the woman realized just how pale the elf’s skin was. Frowning she said, “I do not remember you being so pale, even when you were ill from your wounds.”

The elf pulled her hand away and quickly dropped it. “You have kept me locked away underground with no sunlight,” Legolas ground out, trying not to show the bitterness he felt He thought but did not add, ‘What did you expect?’ He also did not mention what the oppression of the stone was doing to him. He didn’t want her to know about that, if she didn’t know it already.

“I can change that situation for you. Would you like to stay in a room similar to this one with all the comforts you could possibly want, including the delicious fare my kitchens can provide?” This time her voice had altered to sound soft and soothing.

The elf wanted so badly to tell her what she could do with her offer, but he knew he would be causing great damage to himself and perhaps Aragorn, if he did that. If agreeing would make them stronger and more able to create a chance to escape, then perhaps it was worth considering. Swallowing his pride, he said, “Perhaps, but I will not do it without Estel.”

“The ranger? I might include him. We shall have to see how things here work out.”

The implication of her words was not lost on the elf: Do as I say, and you may both be free of the vault. It might just prove to be too high a price to pay. He would have to discuss it with Aragorn.

Before another word was spoken, Allaura grasped her necklace and held it up in front of the elf’s face.

Legolas turned his head away. He knew what the woman was planning, and he didn’t want any part of it. Even, as he did it, he realized that it was a futile gesture. He felt pretty sure he could handle her physically, but he was also pretty sure that the guards were close enough to be able to hear Allaura’s call, if she needed them.

To Legolas’s surprise, when Allaura grabbed his chin, her strength was such that she easily turned his head back so that he faced her. And to his dismay, the blue necklace was hanging right in front of his eyes.

TBC